Shashi Tharoor calls a halt to demonising Modi

Supporting the stand taken by Jairam Ramesh and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor also repeated the view that Congress should halt to demonizing PM Modi.

The Prime Minister should be praised whenever he does the right thing to add credibility to criticism of Opposition leaders, added Shashi Tharoor. “As you know, I have argued for six years now that @narendramodi should be praised whenever he says or does the right thing, which would add credibility to our criticisms whenever he errs. I welcome others in Oppn coming around to a view for which i was excoriated at the time!," Tharoor said in a reply on Twitter.

The Congress’s approach to counter the Prime Minister seems to be changing with leaders publicly beginning to say that demonising Narendra Modi all the time won’t help.

The party spokesman, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said on Friday he had always maintained that a one-way opposition helped the BJP. Singhvi’s comments came a day after his Rajya Sabha colleague, Dr. Jairam Ramesh, said Modi’s governance model is not a complete negative story and people needed to recognise his work to understand why he was voted back to power.

Echoing Dr. Ramesh, Mr. Singhvi said, 'Always said demonising Modi wrong. Not only is he PM of nation, a one way opposition actually helps him. Acts are always good, bad & indifferent—they must be judged issue wise and not person wise. Certainly, ujjawala scheme is only one amongst other good deeds. Jairam ramesh.'

Dr. Ramesh had at an event in the capital argued that the Prime Minister’s governance model is not a 'complete negative story' and not recognising his work and demonising him all the time is not going to help.

'It is time we recognised PM Modi's work and what he did between 2014 and 2019 due to which he was voted back to power by over 30 per cent of the electorate,' Dr. said Ramesh, adding that he was not asking anyone to applaud Mr. Modi.

There is a division in the Congress ranks on the party’s response to key issues such as the triple talaq bill, abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J-K.

A section feels that the party is being driven in its responses by a 'visceral hatred for Modi'.